Unilateral pruritus and Nocardia brain abscess

We studied a patient with unilateral itching associated with Nocardia brain abscess. Pruritus without a primary cutaneous eruption often indicates an underlying medical disorder, but has rarely been described in cerebral disease such as MS or infarctions. Our patient also had sensory loss and motor findings contralateral to the cerebral lesion, suggesting that itching may have cerebral representation contiguous to other sensations.